Brainly Survey: 81% of Indian students miss in-person interactions with peers

~ “No tech can replace friendship” ~

The latest survey highlights the impact of the pandemic-led shift to online learning on Indian students

Mumbai, August 19, 2021: The latest survey by Brainly, the world’s largest online learning platform, reveals how Indian students have adapted to the new study-from-home paradigm in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Here’s looking at top highlights from the survey:

1. 8 out of 10 of Indian students miss in-person engagement with their friends and peers

The greatest impact of the pandemic the world over has been a restriction on physical movement and congregation. While physical movement has resumed after the easing up of lockdowns amid the ongoing inoculation drive, the Indian government is reserving the announcement to reopen the school buildings until the pandemic becomes less threatening.

While the schools have been continuing their activities online, the absence of in-person engagement has been felt by all. The Brainly survey has found that 81% of the surveyed students miss interacting with their friends and classmates in person. This finding highlights the camaraderie among classmates as a key factor in a student’s learning journey, with physical schools becoming a place where children learn not just what is taught in the classroom but also from their social interactions with their peers. The survey also corroborates this idea by revealing that 75% of students on Brainly miss going to school. The finding reinforces the continued relevance of brick-and-mortar classrooms and indicates why schools will advance towards a hybrid future which combines the best of digital and physical modes of instruction.

1. A majority of Brainly students (78%) use their free time to study

The survey found that a majority of Brainly students (78%) use their spare time to study beyond their school hours while 56% of the students use their leisure time to engage in extracurricular activities and hobbies. Some of the recreational pursuits that the students like to engage in include learning a new activity (44%), watching TV (32%), playing video games (30%), hanging out with friends (30%), and surfing the social media (18%).

1. Almost half of Brainly students say that online learning platforms make studying from home easier

The pandemic has been hard on everybody, children and adults alike. On being asked whether they feel stressed while studying from home, 45% of the students replied in the affirmative. From their end, schools are attempting to ensure that students participate in stress-busting activities, with 68% of Indian students saying that their schools encourage them to take up physical education from home.

At the same time, students are utilizing all the resources available to them to navigate the stressful study from home landscape, be it seeking the assistance of their parents or the internet. According to 46% of Brainly students, online learning platforms are making their study from home easier. The favorable response from students can be attributed to the fact that leading online learning platforms also enable peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing and discussing, something that students are craving in the absence of in-person engagement with classmates and friends.

Speaking on the survey, Rajesh Bysani, Chief Product Officer at Brainly, commented, “As revealed by our latest survey, although Indian students have adapted well to the often stressful study from home paradigm, they are looking forward to going back to the physical classrooms. It seems evident that no tech can replace friendships and interactions with peers. What’s worth mentioning is that online learning platforms are making study from home easier for 46% of Indian students. Which means even after the pandemic subsides and school premises reopen, students and parents are still going to access these services to assist in their learning journeys.”